Who: Melanie De Luca and Triton What: Mel needs some boyfriend time, without his sister interrupting. When: Tuesday night, June 1, 2011 Where: Mel's apartment Warning: Fluff and cutsey
Melanie was starting to get back to her life. Her job and not looking over her shoulder at every turn. Triton had been with her as often as he could, not wanting her alone for very long. She didn't mind, and the events had brought them even closer together. He was a gem, a real good guy and after spending time with his mother she understood a little more. It didn't make her feel any less a burden, but she did her best to paste on that pretty, happy smile.
Slipping into her shoes, Melanie checked herself over in the mirror. She smiled. The bruises were all gone now, and her legs looked nearly flawless again. As did the rest of her. For weeks after Poseidon's attack she lounged around in jeans and heavy shirts, feeling she'd brought this on herself. After talking to Amphitrite some of her confidence came back. In return for her boyfriend's amazing care for weeks, she was glad to give him back a little piece of Mel.
When he knocked she swiftly came to the door, opening it and waving him in with a smile. She'd even tried to cook dinner.
It was good to see Mel getting back to her old self. Triton had the patience his parents lacked. He knew she'd find her strength again, and in the meantime he continued to support her and show she was far from a burden, and hadn't done a thing to risk his father's ire.
Poseidon was quiet, and Triton didn't care what happened to him. Poseidon was running on Triton's last nerve, and like his mother he'd turned away from him. But Poseidon had rarely cared about his son. Triton knew that wasn't going to change.
Now he was more interested in salvaging things with Mel, and making his life with her. She was important to him, and he wouldn't risk losing her again. When he saw her he grinned and let his eyes wander. "Well hello." Smiling he offered her the bouquet of flowers he'd brought and leaned down for a kiss. "You look gorgeous." Smiling he walked inside, putting up his jacket and smiling to her. "Am I missing something, because if I did forget something I am sorry."
Mel bit down on her bottom lip, shaking her head. "No, you didn't forget anything," she said quietly, returning his kiss softly. She closed the door behind him, "I just felt like dressing up." Taking the flowers she smelled their sweet scent. "They're beautiful," she hooked his arm and dragged him into the kitchen where she had her poor attempt at dinner laid out while she put the flowers in water.
"I wanted to do something nice," it had been a while since they'd been out outside of work. She wanted him to see how much she appreciated him and all he'd done. Most men would have given up, but she'd known since they first met that he wasn't most men--and that went beyond his real title. Which had awkwardly not freaked her out as much as it should have. Being brought into family which included the raging sea god could easily make a girl panic.
Part of her felt sorry for Poseidon, that he had to abuse to make himself feel better. It couldn't be very mentally healthy, but then again he seemed unstable regardless. There was not an ounce of that in her Triton and for that she was grateful.
She still slipped up sometimes and called him Lane, more out of habit bit eventually that would wear away. She did it this time as she waited for him to sit. "Dinner?"
He let out a relieved breath as he followed her, "good. I thought I'd missed an anniversary or something and you'd have my head for forgetting." Smiling he set one hand around her waist, "I like it." He let her drag him into the kitchen and glanced to the dinner. "Cooked even." She'd never been great at it, and he'd tease her for it, but he appreciated the effort.
"It is very nice." He wasn't the type to give up, and not on her. Meeting his family, his true family, could be scary for anyone. And having to deal with his father wasn't something he wished on anyone.
Smiling he kissed her cheek and sat down. "You know you don't have to do this for me. I'm happy with you regardless." Then he nodded, "Sure."
She had definitely not been in a skirt so short in a while, or showing off her legs and tiny waist. She was glad to have her spunk back, feeling comfortable in her own skin. Emotionally since she'd moved back from Japan everything seemed to crash on her like a ton of bricks. In a short time she'd been through a lot, but she would ultimately tough it out.
She nuzzled against his chest a moment before following into her own seat at the table. They'd spent most nights with him watching over and her curled up under the covers like a cacoon. They'd not been really intimate, and that was okay. She liked just being close, bit she missed him.
Takin the lid off the dish in the middle of the table she smiled. "Pot roast!" It was probably tough and her potato and carrot slices not nearly cooked enough. "I wanted to do something for you," she pouted slightly.
He smiled at her and shook his head, "And I appreciate it," smiling he took her hand and kissed her wrist. "I do." He'd even eat the meal, knowing it would be bad, for her. She hadn't been like this in a long while and he didn't want to spoil it.
Smiling he released her, glad she was finally bouncing back. He did like seeing her in that outfit. He liked her long legs. She was small, whcih he liked, but knew how to work it. Then again he'd inherited his father's height so few people matched his height.
With a big grin Melanie motioned for him to eat. "Try it!" she urged. "It doesn't exactly look like the picture out of the magazine but I tried!" A pout formed again as she waited impatiently.
She watched with an almost giddy expression, one she hadn't worn since the first day they'd met back up again. She was energetic again. Happy.
Smiling he got himself a portion, "I'm trying it." He winked at her before eating some of it. "It's a bit tough, and the vegetables are a bit undercooked but it's alright." He wouldn't lie to her, he tried to be honest. He didn't do it to hurt her feelings, just so she would know for another time.
Her pout grew even bigger. "It's dry!" she seemed bothered, she'd worked really hard on it. "I did what the recipe said." Animals were easy to care for in comparison to human food. Can or bag of food and water. It wasn't hard to mix, but cooking a meal was just not a talent she possessed.
He laughed and set his hand around her waist, pulling her into his lap. "I still appreciate the effort." Smiling he kissed her shoulder. "Tell you what, I'll make dinner next time. You like my pasta don't you?"
She slipped in easily enough, tugging lightly at her skirt so to keep it appropriate even if they were in her apartment. "Am I that bad?" she asked with running her fingers through his hair and behind his ears.
"I don't want you to always feel like you have to take care of me," she said softly. It was followed by a sweet smile. "Yes, I do like your pasta."
Laughing he shook his head, "no. Not at all. It's not a burned mess. Just a little dry. I'll come over next time and we'll figure out where you went wrong, how about that?"
Smiling he kissed her, "Mel, love, I'm a few decades old and Greek. It's pretty much my instinct to take care of you. It's a weird way how we're wired. It's not chivalry because I have to remind myself not to get to much." Smiling he kissed her shoulder. "I'll cook that for you next time."
"Okay," she said with a soft kiss, still playing with his hair.
"You might be a few decades old, but I don't want to be your burden." She paused at the rest of his comment, "not all of you are," she said a little more softly. She hadn't really talked about what happened much only apologizing to him and his mother both. She understood now the way this worked, it didn't mean it didn't confuse her still, but there was some light on the subject.
She nuzzled his nose with her own with a small whisper. "I love you."
"You're not okay, if you were I'd tell you." Sighing he kissed her shoulder. "some of us are more sexist then is really good for us. Back in Greece, everything was very male dominated. Women were there to often be used, and then discarded. And Gods could get away with it. I never did that."
He smiled at her whisper, "as I love you."
She curled her fingers into his hair, letting the slide back against his neck in a slight massage of her nails. "I'm glad," she whispered, "you don't have some wife that could come back and take you away from me do you?" she laughed lightly but part of her was serious.
He closed his eyes to the sensation of her nails on his skin and shook hos head to her comment. "No. I don't. I never married. I had a few children, but never a wife. I'm not fond of the idea of marriage. For us, it's forever. And look how that works out for my parents."
She paused in the massage just looking at his face, studying it, small and soft fingers running over those features. He really did look a lot like his father, which at times when she woke up out of a nightmare took a moment to contemplate that it was Triton and he wasn't there to hurt her.
She couldn't deny that at one time she would want to get married, but even the idea of living with him three years ago had scared her, so she was comfortable with this.
"No one that's going to lay her claim on you?" she smiled softly.